Beatrice Fairfax Episode 5: Mimosa San (1916)

Mimosa San is a little Japanese girl in love with Hako Satsu, a secret agent of the Japanese government. Satsu receives word from his government that it would like to secure the plans of a remarkable rifle sight that has just been invented by John Brayton. Brayton, however, has just disposed of them to the United States War Department. Satsu contrives to get the plans. He calls in Anna Cortes, a pretty Spaniard, to help him carry out a plot for stealing them. They meet in a restaurant where Mimosa San is employed as a cashier. Mimosa sees them and becomes jealous. She writes a letter to Beatrice Fairfax asking for advice. Jimmy Barton, a newspaper reporter, is given an assignment to interview Brayton on his invention. Brayton refuses to see him and Jimmy returns to the office. Beatrice Fairfax shows him the letter from Mimosa San and they go to the restaurant where she is employed. Mimosa shows them Satsu and Anna again talking together. Jimmy decides to go to Brayton's residence for another attempt at an interview. As he is nearing the Brayton country home, he notices an automobile hurrying away. He catches a passing glance of two persons he believes to be the Jap and the Spanish woman. When he reaches the Brayton home, he finds it in a turmoil. Brayton is just returning to consciousness. His plans have been stolen. He tells about being called outside to give assistance to a woman hurt in an automobile accident. He had assisted her companion to carry her into his house. Once inside, the two turned on him, beat him into insensibility and stole the plans. The man, he believed, was a Jap. Jimmy hurries to his office and writes the story or the theft of the plans. Then, with Beatrice, he again goes to the tea garden where Mimosa is employed. While they are talking to her, she receives a telephone message which changes her from despairing grief to radiant happiness. She refuses to answer further questions and hurries from the room. Beatrice follows the girl while Jimmy goes to a detective's office and meets Brayton. Beatrice sees Mimosa enter the apartment of Anna. Satsu is there. He explains that his friendliness for Anna was only for the good of their country and shows her the stolen plans. Beatrice hurries away and phones Jimmy, who, with the detectives, swoop down upon the place. The detectives search Satsu, recover the plans and hand them to Brayton. While the detective's back is turned. Mimosa San seizes his revolver. She turns the tables on the detectives, including Jimmy and Beatrice. Holding them at bay, Mimosa San and Satsu escape through a rear door. Jimmy, Beatrice and the detectives, after the departure of the Japs start in pursuit. The two reach the bay, jump into a launch, and are pushing away just as the pursuers, with Jimmy and Beatrice at their head, appear. Mimosa San is crouched in the stern, while Satsu is navigating the craft. Jimmy draws his revolver and is about to fire, when Beatrice stops him. "Let her have him." she pleads. "We have the plans." Together they stand on the pier, as the launch drifts out to sea.